A Byte of Python

Chapter 1. Introduction

Table of Contents

Introduction
Features of Python
Summary
Why not Perl?
What Programmers Say

Introduction

Python is one of those rare languages which can claim to be both simple and powerful. You will find that you will be pleasantly surprised on how easy it is to concentrate on the solution to the problem rather than the syntax and structure of the language you are programming in.

The official introduction to Python is

Python is an easy to learn, powerful programming language. It has efficient high-level data structures and a simple but effective approach to object-oriented programming. Python's elegant syntax and dynamic typing, together with its interpreted nature, make it an ideal language for scripting and rapid application development in many areas on most platforms.

I will discuss most of these features in more detail in the next section.

Note

Guido van Rossum, the creator of the Python language, named the language after the BBC show "Monty Python's Flying Circus ". He doesn't particularly like snakes that kill animals for food by winding their long bodies around them and crushing them.